Xiaolin Showdown Before The First Step
by Stephen R Sobotka
Summary: Before the Journey of A Thousand Miles begins, see what Clay and Kimiko went through in preparing to leave for the Xiaolin Temple.


**XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN - "Before the First Step Is Taken..."**

**by Stephen R. Sobotka Jr. / 2006**

**DISCLAIMER** : Xiaolin Showdown is the creation of Christi Hui / Warner Bros. Animation; all characters of this story -- with the exception of any original characters that I created -- are the property of said licenses, and WB Television Animation, and are used here without knowledge or permission of same. This story was produced to entertain fans of the original show, and is in no way, shape or form intended to be published for monetary gain. Please do not sue.

This story is an original prose based on situations and themes from the original "Xiaolin Showdown" animated series. This story is the rightful property of the author; all original characters and the plot depicted within are protected by copyright law.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES **: Did this as a sidebar story, while trying to keep "Choices" moving... though the main inspiration came from me trying to join in on an RP over at Windy's Xiaolin Temple message board (waves to Windy!).

Basically, it was never really shown as what happened prior to Clay and Kimiko's arrival at the Temple, nor what either family thought about them joining up... so, this sort of is my way of filling in the gaps.

Comments are most welcome, so please DO comment!

Enjoy the story! - SRS Jr

oooOOOooo

_The Bailey Ranch, San Antonio, Texas_

_Three Days Before Arrival..._

Standing in the middle of his only son's bedroom, Daddy Bailey frowned and said gruffly, "Ah still don't think this is th' right thang for you t'be doin', Clay!"

Looking up from where he was stuffing clothes into a long rucksack perched on his bed, Clay Bailey gave his father a pleading expression. "Aw, c'mon! You saw th' letter that was sent by Master Fung, Daddy," he said. Straightening up, the tall, blond-haired young man poked his thumb at his chest. "Bein' chosen t'go to the Xiaolin Temple is a big-to-do honor!"

Grumbling, Daddy Bailey crossed his arms and snorted. "Dangit, boy, I should'a never let you practice all that high-falutin', Kung-Fu crud at school-!"

"Um, it was Tai-Chi, Daddy," Clay corrected.

"Tie-Chee, Gung-Pow, ahh... it's all th' same sorta, fancy slap-dancin' fightin' style I don't particularly like, boy!" Daddy Bailey glared at Clay from underneath the brim of his wide white hat. "I should'a learned ya t'fight like my Daddy taught me; with both fists, feet and a lotta cow-punchin'!"

"Daddy, punchin' cows ain't like real fightin'! Besides, you've seen how good I am at it," Clay said, trying to head off another turn of the old argument before it started. "I practically can fight off anybody with my eyes closed, an' I've been able t'do a lot better in keepin' th' Ranch runnin' smoothly when ya needed it th' most."

Daddy Bailey replied, "Which might be th' one thang I can think of to keep ya here, rather than send ya off to some Monk Temple-house!" Sighing, he shook his head. "I still don't get why yew wanna go in th' first place. Aren't ya'll happy here, Clay?"

"Aw, Daddy," Clay said, "Ya know I'd never stop lovin' our home an' all... but, this is somethin' I've gotta do!" He closed the rucksack and tied it shut tight, before he explained by saying, "It's a chance t'see more of th' world out there... meet new people an' have th' experience of a lifetime! Plus, Master Fung said in his letter, that bein' chosen to be trainin' as a Xiaolin Dragon is a higher callin'... somethin' that I've got t'answer to."

Clay's father grunted, then sighed. "An' there's nothin' I can do t'make ya change yer mind, boy?"

Clay shook his head firmly. "No, sir. Daddy, I've got to do this. Please... understand, an' don't worry. I'll do everythin' I can t'make ya proud of me."

Stepping closer to his son, Daddy Bailey gave him a frank, searching look... then, he nodded slowly. "Ah, heck... just be certain that ya do just that, boy!" He placed one hand on Clay's shoulder and squeezed for emphasis. "Just don't ya go an' embarrass me, or do anythin' stupid, or else I'll yank your tailbone back here so fast-."

"-It'll make me thank I've skipped a mess of Sundays," Clay said, finishing the popular phrase that his father loved to use with a smile.

Daddy Bailey snorted, but he also smiled. "Smartaleck! Well... Ah guess you need t'finish packin', Clay. You'll be leavin' come mornin', so don't lallygag about it, 'kay?"

Clay nodded. "I'll be ready an' able t'go, before sun-up!"

Nodding, Daddy Bailey turned and walked out of Clay's bedroom... stepping around a short, stout figure that resembled Clay in many ways, save that they were obviously a girl. As soon as Daddy Bailey was out of earshot, the girl scowled at Clay and shook her head.

Clay stared back at her. "Somethin' on yer mind, Jessie?"

"I guess ya managed t'talk Daddy into lettin' ya go off to that Temple-thing," Jessie Bailey muttered.

"Didn't have to," Clay said. "Just told him how important it was, an'... well, th' rest is all water under th' bridge."

Jessie's frown deepened. "Oh, well, that just makes it all hunky-dory then, don't it?" She stuck her chin out and said, "Looks like my big brother just used his Older-Siblin' charm an' got his way, just like always!"

Clay planted his hands on his hips, and gave Jessie a pointed look. "Little Sister, ya got a burr under yer blanket since I got that there letter. What's yer problem, then?"

"Just that yer always gettin' the big breaks, same as always!"

"An' yer just gettin' passed over, is that it? Can't ya stop singin' that ol' tune everytime-?"

Jessie snapped, cutting Clay off with a shout. "Because every time I turn around, yer gettin' the better end of th' deal!" Breathing heavy, Jessie said, "Mark my words, Big Brother... one o' these days, I'm gonna show you just how much better than you I really am!" Turning around she stormed out of his bedroom, slamming the door shut in her wake.

Clay shouted after her, "Better do it sooner, Little Sister, 'cause I won't be around much longer... ah, dangit!" Letting his anger go with a deep breath, Clay shook his head. "Don't let her get under yer skin like this. There's more important things t'deal with ahead." Turning back to his bed, Clay started working on filling another bag with his belongings...

oooOOOooo

_The Tohomiko Home, Tokyo, Japan_

_One Day Before Arrival..._

"Hurry, let's get all of her clothes ready to go!"

Standing in the middle of a swarm of bustling servants, Goro -- the head of the household staff, to one Toshiro Tohomiko -- watched as the preparations continued at a brisk pace. Dressed in formal suit ensemble, the middle-aged man turned this way and that, directing the household staff as they hurried past. "Get those bags to the limousine, at once! The plane leaving for the mainland in an hour, and everything must be ready for Miss Kimiko's departure!"

In her room, where she sat at her desk, the young Japanese girl in question -- Kimiko Tohomiko -- was tapping away on the screen of a PDA with a stylus, while a cel phone sat tucked under one ear as she talked to her friend on the other end of the connection. "Yeah, it's a regular beehive here, Keiko... nah, Goro's on top of things." She grimaced a bit. "Yeah, I hope they have a good net connection at this Xiaolin place in China... I'd practically go spare if I couldn't get online!"

As the last pieces of luggage were hustled out by his staff, Goro turned to face his employer's daughter. "Kimiko-chan, please tell your friend farewell for now," he said. "We need to get you on your way to the airport."

Kimiko finished tapping a final message on her PDA, and sighed as she slipped it into the side pocket on her backpack. "Sorry, Keiko, I hate to cut this short but I've got to get me to Narita... don't worry! I'll call you as soon as I get to the Temple, 'kay? 'Kay! Bye for now!"

Watching as Kimiko folded up her phone and tucked it in her backpack, Goro shook his head. "Kimiko-chan! We must hurry, if we're going to beat the traffic to the airport," he said, motioning for her to follow him. "Sometimes you spend far too much time on those gadgets," he muttered under his breath.

Rolling her eyes a bit, Kimiko sprang to her feet. "Chill, Goro, I'm coming!" Following him out of her room, she forgot about being cross when she spied her father emerging from another room. "Papa!"

Toshiro smiled, pausing to let Kimiko give him a hug. "Kimiko-chan," he said warmly. "Are you prepared for your journey to China?"

"We would have been ready an hour ago, Sir," Goro said stiffly. "If for the fact Kimiko was chatting with her friend, on her personal electronics."

Toshiro smiled tolorantly at his daughter. "Kimiko, now you know that you must not be late for your arrival at the Xiaolin Temple!"

Kimiko sighed and said, "Oh, Papa! You know I can quit using these at any time." She paused, then grinned somewhat sheepishly. "Except for my cel, okay?"

Walking down the hallway with her, Toshiro said, "Kimiko-chan, you do need to be serious about this! You cannot begin to understand how your mother and I felt, when we received the letter from Master Fung in China!"

"It is a high honor, to be accepted for monk training in the Xiaolin ways!" Goro added.

Kimiko sighed. "Like you haven't reminded me about this nearly every day since then," she said under her breath, giving the household staff head a sideways look. "Papa," she said more clearly to her father, "I get the jist. This Xiaolin-thing is a big deal to you and Mom."

"It's more than a big deal, my daughter," Toshiro said. "Your mother and I have such hopes for you."

"For any family to be asked to have their child take a place in the Xiaolin Temple, to be trained as one of the Chosen Dragons," Goro said, "It can lead to greater things, for that child in question."

"I always thought it was an honor that I made it to Junior High," Kimiko said acerbically.

Toshiro stopped walking and faced Kimiko with a pleading expression. "Please, Kimiko... it will be a great disappointment to our family, if you were to not take this seriously!"

"Forgive me for saying so, Sir," Goro said, "but, Kimiko's flippant attitude is a product of your spending with all those gadgets you possess. If she cannot focus yourself on the task ahead-!"

"You don't actually think I'm going to fail, Goro?" Kimiko shook her head. "Not going to happen, trust me!"

"Goro! Toshiro! Leave our daughter alone, please."

From a side room, a lovely looking woman emerged, wearing a lovely, cherry-blossom patterned kimono. Walking with a dainty, graceful step up to where the trio were standing, she said, "Our daughter is well aware of the honor and the duty she has in becoming part of the Xiaolin temple. She does not need to be put under extra stress, dear."

Toshiro crossed his arms, and chuckled. "You are too easy on her, my wife," he said good-naturedly.

"As are you, Sir," Goro muttered softly, before clearing his throat to mask his comment.

"No matter, for Kimiko will go and prove herself most worthy of her calling," Mrs. Tohomiko said with a firm countenance. Facing her daughter, she smiled and gave her a brief hug. "You will keep in touch with us and let us know how you are doing, my daughter?"

Returning the hug, Kimiko said, "Yes, Mama. Every night... so long as they've got a good net connection."

"Good," Mrs. Tohomiko said, before she turned to face her husband. "Now, you hurry along, so you won't be caught in bad traffic. Kimiko must not be late for her flight."

Toshiro looked at Goro and said with a smile, "You heard what my wife said, Goro. Let us not keep my daughter any longer than nessessary, hm?"

Goro sighed in resignation, and bowed to his employer and his wife. "Ah, very well," he said. "Come, Kimiko-chan... we must do as your mother tells us."

Looking at her mother as she followed her father, walking past, Kimiko gave her a wink in gratitude... to which Mrs. Tohomiko returned it, before turning away to return to her daily routine...

oooOOOooo

_The Xiaolin Temple, Mainland China,_

_Several days later..._

Jumping down from the bed of the old ox cart, Clay reached back to lift out his rucksack and bags, before turning to wave to the driver. "Much obliged fer the ride, Mister!"

"Most welcome! You take care, young one!" the driver called back, before giving the two oxen a nudge to start driving them back down the winding road.

Standing on the curve of the dirt road -- which was more mud than dirt now, thanks to the rain -- Clay reached up to flick some of the water from the brim of his ten-gallon hat, before he turned to look at the other person who had traveled with him up from the last town. "Well, partner... looks like this is the place."

Reaching up to adjust the hood on his white over shirt, the young Brazilian kid frowned at the dark skies overhead. "Swell! Think we can get out of the rain now, cowboy? I'd really prefer getting wet at the beach!"

Clay just chuckled. "What's wrong with a lil' rain there, Raimundo? Yer not gonna melt, after all." Reaching down, he hefted his bags onto his shoulders before nodding towards the courtyard. "Besides, we're sure t'get a warm reception, I reckon."

Getting his own bags, the young fellow named Raimundo followed Clay, plodding along through the puddles and mud with a sour expression. "There'd better be. 'Cause I definitely wasn't told about this bein' in such a homely-lookin' place!"

"Hey now, don't knock it 'till ya lived here for a while," Clay said, looking up just as the sound of a high-speed rotor echoed through the rain-filled air. "'Sides, looks like we're not th' only ones arrivin' in th' wet."

As Clay and Raimundo reached the wide gates of the temple grounds, they spied the source of the noise -- a sleek-looking helicopter -- as it flew low over the treetops.

"Ooo-wee! Now that's some fancy-lookin' way t'fly!" Clay said.

Raimundo grimaced. "Swell! You think they could've offered us a lift?"

Settling down near the main building that dominated the courtyard, the helicopter idled as a pair of official-looking men hopped out and started unloading several piece of luggage; lugging them over to the wide, covered porch with quick movements.

Trudging up to the steps, both Clay and Raimundo watched for a moment. "Looks like this new arrival's bringin' a lot o' stuff to this party, eh?" Clay asked his fellow traveler.

"Whoever they are, they must've pulled some decent string to get this kind of service!"

At that point, a voice called down from the porch: "Ah, you have arrived. Come, you should be out of the rain." Both Clay and Raimundo turned, seeing a tall, bald-headed man in blue-on-white monk robes standing at the top of the steps. "Welcome to our temple, young ones."

Clay nodded, tipping his hat. "Thank ye kindly, Sir."

"Anything to get out of the wet... and, thanks!" Rai said, following Clay up onto the porch.

"I am Master Fung," the monk said. "You are Clay Bailey and Raimundo Pederosa?"

"That's me!" Rai said.

"Pleasure to meet ya, Master Fung-Sir," Clay seconded.

Looking behind them, Master Fung said, "Ah, this must be our third student; Kimiko Tohomiko, from Japan."

Both Raimundo and Clay turned around, spying a young girl in a colorful outfit -- keeping in with the current styles of Tokyo's current generation -- with a head of bright yellow hair. "Woah! Didn't say there was gonna be a girl at this temple-gig!" Rai said softly.

Clay nudged him with his elbow. "Try bein' a lil' polite, partner," he hissed, before he tipped his hat to the newcomer. "Howdy! Welcome to th' shindig, Miss Kimiko," he said.

Kimiko grinned up at Clay. "Wow, what western did you come from?" She chuckled at the slightly puzzled look on Clay's face, before saying, "Sorry, my bad! This is probably the first time I've met a real cowboy."

"Ah... well, no problemo, then," Clay said. "Please t'meetcha, Kimiko."

"If you like meeting him, betcha wanna meet a real, live surfer, eh Kimmy?" Rai said with a grin, puffing out his chest. "Best of all the wave-riders in Brazil!"

Kimiko shot Rai an arched look. "Yeah, I'll take your word for it... most of the time, I do my own surfing!"

Rai's eyes lit up. "Oh? What sort of board you use?"

"Actually, I just use my PDA." Kimiko turned away from Rai -- who looked miffed -- and bowed to Master Fung. "Sorry for being a bit late, Sir, but we had trouble with the weather coming up here-."

Master Fung held up one hand to silence Kimiko's explanation. "Not to worry... with the rain we have been having, I am happy to see you have arrived safely."

"We wouldn't have made it at all... no thanks to those roads back there!" Rai scowled. "Don't you people believe in concrete here?"

Clay shook his head at the young Brazilian teen. "I'm certain Raimundo didn't mean anything untoward, Sir," he told Master Fung. "The trip up here was a bit rough on the knees, so t'speak."

The elder monk nodded sagely. "Then, come inside, please... we will get you settled, and I will go fetch young Omi. He will be your fellow student, and teacher while you are here."

Rai peered at Master Fung, then cocked his head in puzzlement. "Wha'did he say?"

Kimiko blinked. "Um, teacher? I thought we were here to learn from the Xiaolin monks."

"You will be learning, young one," Master Fung said. "However, you all possess unique experiences from the lives you lived, prior to your coming here. There is much you all can teach to each other, especially our young Omi." Leading them inside the temple, he explained further, saying, "We trained Omi since he was old enough to walk, but that has kept him in seclusion for most of his life."

"Geez! Talk about your private schools!" Rai muttered.

"Sounds like the lil feller's not been out in the pasture in a long, dry spell, Sir," Clay said.

Master Fung looked back at the tall youth from Texas, raising his brow in a questioning motion.

Kimiko looked at Clay, before saying, "Um, I think he means Omi needs to get out of the classroom more, Master Fung."

"Ah... yes, that is true," Master Fung said at length. "However, with you three sharing your experiences, it is hoped that Omi will learn and become prepared for his eventual contact with the outside world." He gave each one of the new arrivals a stern look. "This is not to be told to Omi, as I will tell him myself... when the time is right. Am I understood?"

"Yeah, I getcha," Rai said.

Kimiko nodded. "Yes, Master Fung."

Clay nodded as well.

"Very good... then, I will go fetch your fellow student." Master Fung motioned to a side room. "Please wait inside here. I will return shortly."

As they filed into the small, side room, all three turned to watch the elder monk head down a long hallway to disappear from view. When it appeared Master Fung was out of earshot, Raimundo let out a low whistle. "Oh, momma... what did I get myself into here?"

"Sounds like this is gonna be a right interestin' time ahead of us," Clay said simply.

"You said it, cowboy," Kimiko said. "I just hope whoever this Omi is, that he's an okay kid."

"Did you see who his guardian is?" Rai shook his head. "We'll be lucky if the kid can use a knife and fork when he eats!"

"Hey!" Clay gave Rai a jab with one thick finger. "Cut th' lil guy some slack, 'till ya meet him. F'r all we know, this Omi-feller might be a sight better than all of us."

"Yeah, he has been training at this stuff all of his life," Kimiko said archly. She sighed. "Boy, I'm gonna have a lot to tell Keiko later. That's if I can get a net-connection out here."

Rai just grumbled. "Fine, okay! I'll give the lil monk-guy a break... just hope Master Fung isn't too long in getting back with him!"

Seemingly on the same synch, both Clay and Kimiko looked at each other and frowned slightly. "Well, this has been an interestin' start to th' whole shindig, hm?"

Kimiko just chuckled a bit. "You said it, cowboy... I can only think of what the journey ahead's gonna be like."

"Guess we'll have to find out," Clay replied, turning his head as he heard the sounds of approaching footsteps. "And, looks like that might be right now, 'cause here comes Master Fung..."

THE END


End file.
